Once Upon a Dream
by Mira Nova 23
Summary: Mai & Joey. Joey is deeply in love with Mai, but what will it take for her to admit she feels the same? Hearts never forget.
1. The way you did once

_**Once Upon a Dream**_

_Chapter 1  
**The way you did once...**_

* * *

The hot summer sun had just begun to set.

"Mai," Joey held her hand tighter, "Will you marry me?"

Mai recoiled her hand. "Joey..." Her serene face had turned into horror.

He looked away, humiliated. _Just concentrate on the sand... That's sparkling just as brilliantly- as the ring I bought!_ He was leaning against a palm tree in the sand, with his arms around her.He had convinced her into relaxing here after a long day of surfing. To him, they seemed perfect for each other. "Why _not..._" His voice cracked.

"Look, I don't know!" She had been comfortably sitting in between Joey's legs on the seashore, but now she turned around onto her knees to face him. "I just don't know yet-"

"Mai, comon." He flopped an frustrated arm up and then down to the ground. He looked hard into her eyes, pleading. "We've been through so much together. You know me better than anyone ever could!"

"It doesn't only matter how _well _I know you, Joey. Before you met me, I'm sure it was Seren or Yugi, or Tristan, that knew you best- and I'm sure you don't want to marry any of them."

"You're not funny, ya know. And too, the whole world knows how I love you." He took her hand again.

Mai laughed as she settled back into him. "Except Kaiba apparently. His company was always the only one _not _broadcasting all the stories of how you tried to save me."

"Yeah, that don't say much for how he feels bout me, now does it? Hahaha!"

Mai chuckled with him, then sighed. She stared off out to the ocean.

"Mai..." Joey played with her hair as he spoke. "I know... I just _know _that you are the one I'm gonna love forever, no matter what- whether you say yes or no."

Mai jerked her head and took to the defensive, "I didn't say 'no,' But I-..." She brought her arms around him to pull them closer. Joey's smile was half-hearted, for he saw only concern on her face. "I love you so much," she continued, "But I don't want to decide right now. I can't. I don't know what I really want and I don't wanna regret anything."

Joey's thoughts drifted to noticing that their heartbeats were in unison. "That's alright..." He ran his fingers through her hair down to her bared back.

"I'm sorry..." Mai whimpered.

"Don't apologize. Just gimme your other hand."

"What?"

"Your right hand."

"Why?" She held it out to him.

"Here." Joey produced a diamond ring from his plastic waterproof money holder. Mai gasped as she watched the jewel first tumble out into his palm, then as it was slipped over her right ring finger. "This side means that you're just 'with' someone." He lifted her hand, and kissed it. "Don't forget, Miss Valentine."

* * *

**A/N:** I wrote this whole story on my way back from Disney World. I was getting sick & tired of always making things work out so nicely for Mai & Joey in Sexual Tenshin, so I decided to just maniacally slaughter them apart. Oops, I've said too much. Okay so this one is a total rip off of Holy Thursday w/ my then-bf. 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YGO or Disney's Sleeping Beauty song "Once Upon a Dream," or that bf thank goodness.


	2. Visions are seldom all they seem

_**Once Upon a Dream**_

_Chapter 2  
**Visions are seldom all they seem...****

* * *

** _

The lifeguard blew the whistle and Joey looked back towards the tower. He had wanted to get one more good wave before the sun set completely, to get his mind off being sort-of rejected. He and his board were only about a hundred feet offshore. The guard was pointing at him.

"Huh?" Joey looked in front of him just in time to see it. A shark fin disappeared just as a mouth appeared at the nose of his board. Hundreds of teeth crunched into fiberglass- as Joey blacked out and fell off.

"Oh my God! Guys! Guys! He's awake!" Yugi shouted into the hall, frantic with relief.

Tristan, Serenity, Tea, Grampa, and Duke all left Mai alone in the waiting area as they raced back to Joey's hospital room.

Mai's heart skipped a beat, and she lost her breath. "Oh, God, thank you..." She hung her head, "Just please..." The tears choked her. "_Please _let the doctors be wrong..."

"Mai?"

Her attention snapped to Yugi near her. "Is he-?"

"We don't know yet... Are you okay?"

"Of course not. But go- I'll be fine. I'll... see him in a lil while, okay?"

"Sure..." Yugi left with the worst reassuring smile ever on his face.

Mai pulled the ring out of her pocket and put it on her left ring finger. Something spooked her about it though, and she quickly switched it to her right.

"Where am I?" Joey's speech was surprisingly normal.

"The General Hospital," Tea answered. The whole gang was crowded around the bed.

"What happened?" Joey was looking all around the room, very confused.

"You don't remember that shark in front of your surfboard?" Tristan said nervously. Everyone's glances got worried.

"What?"

"Yeah man! There was this huge shark that just came outta nowhere and chomped off the nose of your board! Luckily, you got knocked out of the way, so you've still got all your parts, heh-heh..." Tristan tried to chuckle.

"I don't reme-"

"But you were also knocked unconscious," Tea chimed in. "And all the lifeguards went out and some weird guy shot the shark. You'd hit your head under the water, too, and they pulled you out and rushed you to the hospital..." Tea was getting more and more worried. Joey was plain scared and freaked out. "Joey, do you remember anything?!"

Joey looked directly at Yugi and asked, "Who are all you guys?"

Mai was standing just outside the doorway and heard. She covered her mouth as the tears started their deluge. She ran down the hall.

**

* * *

A/N: "And all the king's lifeguards, and all the king's paramedics couldn't put Joey together again!" Sorry. By the way, the line "_and then some weird guy shot the shark,_" just sounded to me like something that would logically be dubbed in by the geniuses who dub Tea's lines, lol. Couldn't you just picture her saying that in the show???** "And all the king's lifeguards, and all the king's paramedics couldn't put Joey together again!" Sorry. By the way, the line "" just sounded to me like something that would logically be dubbed in by the geniuses who dub Tea's lines, lol. Couldn't you just picture her saying that in the show??? 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YGO or Disney's Sleeping Beauty song "Once Upon a Dream." I also do not claim to be the first or best to come up with the idea of Joey amnesia. To the best of my knowledge, the only other story which I have heard this from is Pink Starz's ...With the French Maid in Kaiba's Room! And she's awesome. v


	3. The gleam in your eyes

_**Once Upon a Dream**_

_Chapter 3  
**The gleam in your eyes...  
**_

_**

* * *

**_

A short while later, visiting hours were over. Joey was left alone, in this newly strange place- and life.

The gang had explained a few things to him, like the card game he rocked at, the very fact that they were all friends, and some staple ID info. As for Mai and the troubles of his past, they left those parts out. 

"Wheeler, Joey... Domino, Japan... Duel Monsters... Yugi, Serenity, Tristan, Tea, Duke, Gramps... Who's actually Yugi's grampa... Serenity's my sister..." The tears burst out. "Oh God... Why?! Who am I... Why amnesia, why me... I barely know who 'me' is..."

Suddenly he felt he was being watched. He looked up to see a young woman's face quickly turning away from the window of his door. She was gone, but there was something about her.

Joey frantically checked to make sure he was not still plugged into anything, and jumped out of the bed. "Crap! I'm in a stupid hospital gown!" _Shark attack, hm? So I would have been brought in with a bathing suit on... Which means my normal clothes should be fine! _He pulled open the closet and found one lonely outfit of the perfect size for him. "Sweet..." He yanked the clothes on and went to the bathroom mirror. "Hah, I look hot. And from what my friends tell me, I suppose I'm single."

Joey stepped out of the hospital room and looked around. A little ways down the hall was a waiting area. _There. _When he got there, he saw her waiting for an elevator. Her back was to him as he cautiously approached her.

"Excuse me, miss-" He put his hand on her shoulder, accidentally causing her to jump out of her wits. She ended up leaning back against the elevator door, facing him and clutching her purse. Joey had deja' vu.

"I know you!" he blurted.

Mai's eyes widened.

"...Don't I?" He started backing off sheepishly.

She sighed. "Yes, Joey. You do- I mean, well I suppose you _did..._" Mai stepped away from the elevator, and had deja' vu herself. _Cruel irony. Only this time it's _him_ that doesn't remember _me

"Oh. So you know I lost my memory- at least the event and people part..." Now he was embarrassed. She knew them both and he didn't know either of them. Not to mention she was gorgeous. He felt butterflies invading his stomach.

"Unfortunately yes..." She sighed and walked to the farthest chair. Joey followed.

"Um, I don't remember your name..." Joey mumbled, humiliated.

"Joey- no. It's best if you did forget me. It already feels like you're dead to me and I'm speaking to your ghost. Please, leave me alone..." She hid her face in her hands.

The butterflies were still with him, but he didn't hesitate to take this to an argument.

"You have no idea what it's like to be **alone!** I don't know _any _of my friends, my family or even anything about my own past! I'm seventeen and I'm starting _my entire life over!_" _Stupid tears, not now!_

"I do **so **know what it's like to be alone. And you _don't _know me anymore, so don't be accusing me of things you have no idea about!" She was crying too. "Only I _have _had to live with my past, so consider yourself lucky."

"I just... I just wanna know who you are..."

"Who do you think I am?"

"I think-..." He cleared his throat and bit his lip. Suddenly it no longer felt like a weird soap opera moment, but quite a familiar one. It was as if a beautiful new girl had come into his elementary class and he was shy about meeting her. "I think I have a crush on you. There, I said it."

Mai froze. "Is this a trick?"

"Oh, thanks! Lemme guess, you're actually like the one girl I like but could never have a chance with, right?"

Mai kept staring at him, puzzled. "Are you sure you don't remember me?" Instantly she shook her head. "Never mind- the doctors did say they thought you'd probably have amnesia... They took CAT scans before you woke up... God I still feel like I'm talking to a ghost."

"I'm not a ghost. I'm real, I'm alive, and I want to know who I am and who you are. You're different than the others."

"In that I'm being stubborn?" Mai smiled strangely, but for her it was a flirtatious one.

"No, you just... make me feel- _different _like. That's all."

She snapped back to being cold. "Joey, things could _never _be like they were. We just all have to learn to accept that. Who knows? Maybe it's for the best, anyways. You've been given a second chance, you can totally remake your life. Good luck, but I can't stay." She looked into his eyes, a final look. "Good bye." She walked into the elevator that had just opened, and did not look back.

Joey was left perplexed. _Everything she said... Never mind how negative, it was all so soothing... I feel like I know her now- again... I understood everything she was feeling. _He clutched at his heart.

**

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A/N:** Aw... Nothin much, just please review? 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YGO or Disney's Sleeping Beauty song "Once Upon a Dream."


	4. But if I know you, I know what you'll do

**_Once Upon a Dream_**

_Chapter 4  
**But if I know you, I know what you'll do...

* * *

**_

Yugi and the usual gang were back early the next morning to see Joey. 

He had been thinking of "that girl" all night long. In fact it had pretty much been driving him crazy. _The guys should know somethin bout her..._

But the conversation never turned to her. It was not long before Joey could not contain himself anymore. He was going to have to change the subject himself.

"Here's your deck, Joey." Yugi handed him the stack of cards.

"Thanks, Yugi." Joey accepted them, unsure of how to react. As he shuffled through them, he realized he did not know the first thing about the game. He handed them back to Yugi. "Maybe it's time I give up lil games like that. I'm seventeen, right? And that seems like a kiddie game, no offense." _What would that girl think if she caught me playin with kiddie toys?_

The whole gang was shocked. But it was Grampa that stepped up to smack him over the head.

"OW! Hey!"

"Joseph, you've learned this game from the ground up once before, and you can do it again! As for it being a 'kiddie game,' why I've never heard such nonsense! A game of this strategy, power, and mystique certainly does NOT belong in the hands of little _children!_"

"Geeze, okay, okay..." He rubbed his head with one hand as he took back the deck from Yugi. "By the way, guys... I..." He paused when he came across an Amazon card that looked just like her.

"What?" Tristan got annoyed.

"I met a girl last night."

Everyone's interest was suddenly peaked and they looked to him intently.

"She was gorgeous... Blonde hair, purple eyes- _amethyst_ it's called, right? But augh, a real knockout, seriously."

Tea started giggling to herself. Tristan grinned and shook his head. Yugi looked embarrassed for him.

Joey continued, "She kept arguing with me that yeah she did know me, but-"

"Oh man!" Tristan cracked up and had to hold his stomach he was laughing so hard.

"What?!" Joey's comfortableness with them vanished. He turned defensive and even raised a fist to Tristan.

"For cryin out loud, Joey, you're such an idiot-"

"Joey," Yugi piped up. "That was _Mai Valentine._"

"What?" Joey calmed back down and turned embarrassed once again. "Oh sorry, Yugi. I didn't mean to be like stealin your girl or anythin-"

Yugi grinned. "No, no, no, Joey... Her first _name _is Mai, last name Valentine."

"Doh geeze..." Joey covered his face with his hands.

"Hah! That ain't all dude," Tristan leaned in to torture him some more. "She's your _girlfriend!_"

Joey's jaw dropped. "SHE is my _girlfriend?!?!" _He was hardly able to notice it at the moment, but now all of the confusion and uncertainty that had dominated him since awakening simply vanished. Everything felt right with the world again. Almost.

The gang laid off, and gave him a moment to collect his thoughts. Joey stared into space while devising his plan.

Tea stepped forward, hands on hips and looking down at him. "Well, isn't there anything _else_ you'd like to know about yours and Mai's relationship?!"

Joey looked up at her. "Huh? Oh, well... I think she _kind of liked_ the fact that I'd forgotten everything... Then again part of her seemed to miss it... So no, there's nothing else I need to know. I just need you guys to set her up so I can see her again. She left sayin that like, 'It could never be the same,' and 'Good luck with your new life, but I can't be a part of it,' basically. But I-... Heh you're gonna think I've gone totally yaoi. But I felt like I already knew her heart. She didn't seem like a stranger, just that there was a fog over our past I couldn't get through. I_ felt _like I remembered her, even if I couldn't...If any of that makes any sense, heh-heh." He rubbed his neck and grinned, love struck.

* * *

**A/N:** Aw... Nothing new, just please review?****

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YGO or Disney's Sleeping Beauty song "Once Upon a Dream."


	5. We've met before

_**Once Upon a Dream**_

_Chapter 5  
**We've met before...

* * *

**_

"Yugi," Joey started, while clasping a long chain around his neck, "After tonight, I wanna know everything about my life. _Everything,_ got it?"

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely. It can't be _all _bad, eh?"

"Well I guess not." Yugi looked uneasy. "But lemme warn you. There are some pretty bad parts... And there's a lot of stuff I don't even know."

"_Naaah,_ that's life. Damnit, I can't get this chain on!"

Yugi giggled.

The boys were in Yugi's room, getting Joey ready for his big night. He had been instructed to wear a plain green T-shirt, tight jeans, a black hoody jacket, and his trophy sneakers. His hair was to be kept the same as always, his dog tags displayed on his chain, and black cuff bands on his wrists.

"Hey, Yugi, have I been acting normal for me?"

"Yeah, exactly like your old self. Cept for one little thing. You usually call me 'Yuge,' but otherwise yeah, you're obsessed about Mai. That's perfectly normal for you."

Joey blushed as Yugi chuckled at him.

"Hey, Tea!" Mai gave her a cute little hug in the doorway of the Kame Game Shop. "You know, I can't believe Yugi invited me but not Joey."

"Aw, Mai. We figured out that you were calling it quits with him, but _we_ still missed you!" Tea took her raincoat to hang up. "After all, we're _all_ friends, aren't we?" she continued, slyly.

"Hm-hm." Mai drifted to get a drink. She herself wore a bright blue dip necked long sweater, and tight white pants made out of some strange material or other. Signature hoop earrings and other silver jewelry adorned her, sparkling at every angle.

She lifted her small cup to finish the last sip of soda, when something caught her eye through the bottom of it.

Joey was walking down the staircase, looking straight at her.

She threw the cup down and frantically glanced around at everyone's expressions about the room. "You all-?! Why did you tell me-!"

Joey stepped up in front of her, keeping a steady gaze on her eyes. "Mai..." he breathed as he grabbed her waist with one hand, her neck with the other, and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Her arms instinctively found their place on his shoulders. A few seconds after she realized what was happening, she gently try to push him away. But he only held her more tightly. She gave in for only a few moments.

"Mmf-" She forcibly pulled away. "Joey..." she breathed, settling in cheek to cheek.

"Everything feels like the first time," Joey thought out loud. Mai pulled away a bit again, but Joey rubbed their noses. "It's awesome." He smiled, blissful.

_Why does it still feel so right! _Mai lamented to herself. She could easily have fought him off if need be, but she could not bring herself to deny him.

When Joey finally separated them, she found herself longing for more. He kept his hand on her arm though, and slid it down to grasp her hand. "Wanna go somewhere? Anywhere?"

"It's raining out..."

He flipped his hood up and waved his hand about. "Comon, Mai."

Something about it was eerily familiar and suddenly made her feel totally compliant. "What did you say?"

"I just said 'Comon.' Ya wanna go out somewhere?"

She just noticed that everyone else had vanished. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Yes." _Crap._

**

* * *

A/N:** Aw... I can show you the world! Yes you guessed right. 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YGO or Disney's Sleeping Beauty song "Once Upon a Dream."


	6. You'll love me at once

_**Once Upon a Dream**_

_Chapter 6  
**You'll love me at once...

* * *

**_

"Hurry up!" Mai squealed in laughter as she watched Joey comically dash across the rainy street full of cars. She was waiting under an awning with her umbrella. Joey met her and shook his sopping wet hood off.

"Whew!" he exclaimed as tried to wipe his face dry with wet hands. "So what is this place?"

"My apartment building," Mai answered.

Joey jerked his head to her in surprise. _Is this good or bad?_ "What?"

"It's too nasty out to really go do anything out on the town."

"Yeah," Joey laughed as he shivered. He followed her inside and to the elevator. "So wanna order a pizza?" he meekly suggested.

"Sure." She hit 14 on the elevator panel. The doors closed and Joey's comfort level plummeted even lower.

"Fourteenth floor, huh? Do you at least have nice view?" He felt rather stupid talking around everything.

"Well not really. And shouldn't you be asking if you've ever been here before?" She smirked at him.

"Ahah!" He grinned. "Now that I actually do know! Yugi told me I- well at least I used to- er, whatever! That I lived with you." His face was red.

Mai smiled, but she was remembering how only a couple days before, everything was normal. The elevator opened and she lead the way to her door.

'But, um," Joey stuttered and rubbed his neck. "Yuge did say I could crash at his place so ya know it's not like..."

"Nah, don't worry bout it." They stepped inside.

Joey stood in the doorway, taking in the whole place. _Do I really wanna try to remember an entire lifetime? And a complicated one, at that. _There was an obvious mix of guys' and girls' stuff around the room. A big black leather jacket and a small furry lined one were hung up next to the door. Under the TV was a PS2 and about a dozen games for it, while on top were a bunch of pink magazines. By the couch were a pair of guy's flip-flops mixed with a pair of girl's. On the counter between the living room and kitchen were bags of chips stacked against a bowl of fruit. _Why can't I remember ever owning a black leather jacket? Or playing a video game? Or kicking those flip-flops off? Maybe she would be better off if I just left- _Then his eyes caught sight of her in the kitchen, picking up the phone. _No. I can't lose her. She's..._

"Joey, you want anything on the pizza?"

"Huh?"

"And come on in, don't just stand there."

"Oh," he closed the door behind him and walked towards her. "Uh I dunno. What do I like?"

She smiled painfully to him, then turned back to the phone. "Half pepperoni, half ziti, please. Okay, thanks." She hung up, then started towards Joey. He was taken aback when she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let's try this again, shall we." They both went in together for a kiss. This time, she kissed back.

Joey remembered how the pillows on the couch had been left in a distinctly obvious way. He pulled away and grabbed her hand to make him follow her over. "We got like twenty minutes, right?"

"Forty-five."

He flopped down onto the couch, where all the pillows had been propped up and squished into one of the corners. Somehow it fit his body perfectly. He yanked Mai's hand with him, causing her to crash down on top of him. Giggling, she fixed herself to get comfortable with him, then sighed.

"Joey..."

"Hm?"

Her hand was resting on his chest, and she clenched a bit of shirt in it now. "This feels the same. How do you know..."

"What do you mean?"

"Your, hm, body language is the same. You're acting the same. You hold me the same, kiss the same, lay the same... But then I remember that you don't have a clue about our past and it scares me again."

"Mai..." He started fiddling with a string coming out of a pillow. "I really am trying... I can tell that I love you so much-... But I don't know, maybe you'd be better off if I- if I just..." He tossed the string away. "Left you alone."

"No- I mean..." Mai covered her mouth to prevent blurting out something else stupid. _No, he has to know this. He can't want to leave me. _"Joey, you can't leave..." No particular reason was coming to mind.

"But it seems to me like our past was really important to you, and I-" he paused, frustrated, "Can't remember."

Mai perked up. "But you _want _to remember, right?"

"Well, I want to but-"

"Joey, you've even said so yourself before. I know you better than anyone ever could. You can't leave. You need me as much as I need you-..." _Oh I'm acting like **such **a little girl right now..._

Joey had been staring into her eyes the whole time, but now forced her off him and sat up. "You said it wouldn't be the same."

"But I didn't know _you'd _be the same!" Her voice cracked, and suddenly she was on the verge of tears.

Joey turned to her again. His face was torn between her and what he thought might be best for her. _Might be..._

Mai recoiled from him, forcing him to make a choice. "That's what's always been such a comfort for me. You're the only person that ever cared- through the good _and_ bad... Even Yugi and Tea still can't accept some of the shit I've done to you guys, but you understood everything and were there with me through it all..." The tears were coming full force. "I never had that before I met you. And I'd be a jerk for abandoning _you_ now."

Joey looked away and smiled. "Well I never said I was _definitely_ leaving." He gave her a smirk.

She laughed, stopping the tears. It turned into a relieved but embarrassed sigh.

"I wanna know everything." He closed in on her face. " You know me better than anyone ever could, right? Tell me _everything_ about us."

"Alright," she whispered, as he sucked her into a kiss. "First things first," she held a finger on his lips, "You love pizza- and I'm starving!"

"Oh, the pizza!"

**

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A/N:** Time, Love, & Tenderness!-ooh, was that out loud? 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me, like YGO & Disney stuffs.


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